Parents, teens uneasy Facebook 'friends': Study

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US parents are keeping a close eye on their teens' activities on Facebook and other social networks, provoking a "mixed" reaction from the youngsters, a new study showed Tuesday.

The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project survey found parents are taking steps to monitor such online activities amid a range of fears, including interactions with strangers and tracking by advertisers.

The study, done in collaboration with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, noted that 80 percent of parents whose teens use social networks are themselves users of social media. "Some youth seem to prefer not to friend their parents," the study said.

"They friend them only because it's expected of them." But the researchers found that other teens "have a positive attitude about being friends with their parents." Sandra Cortesi of the Berkman Center said teens have "mixed feelings about being friends with their parents" on social networks like Facebook. "Some teens like the fact that they are friends with their family members," she said.